The court hierarchy is a way of organising courts into levels, with higher courts hearing more serious and complex cases, and lower courts hearing less serious matters. A court hierarchy allows for the decision of a lower court to be reviewed on appeal by a higher court. Any person who is involved in the case, and who is dissatisfied with the outcome, has the right to appeal the decision, if there are sufficient grounds for appeal. A court hierarchy also allows for the doctrine of precedent to function effectively. A precedent made by a higher court is binding and must be followed by a lower court in the same hierarchy hearing a case involving similar facts. The court hierarchy allows for specialisation, with the courts developing expertise in their jurisdiction. In addition, the court hierarchy allows for administrativeconvenience; matters can be allocated to an appropriate court according to the seriousness and complexity of each case. This increases efficiency and reduces the chances that there will be delays in determining cases.
Legal Studies from the ground up